Oceans and Sunsets

There is something truly captivating about the ocean. I read somewhere, at sometime recently, that scientists now think the human race evolved by a genetic mistake from some sort of sea creature ( I know, real specific. Next time I will pay more attention (maybe)). Perhaps, if their theory is correct (quite likely since I read it on the internet), that is why we are drawn to it. Or maybe, it's the consistent rhythm of the waves rising and crashing that we are attracted to. Whatever the reason, it never fails that when you go to the beach, people are taking pictures. 

At Cape Kiwanda in Oregon, there was a small sand peninsula that had a warning sign about "unstable ground"; naturally, everyone ignores the sign.  
                                     

After a short hike up the sand hill you come to an ocean oasis that sits about 200 feet up from the ocean. It's so cool! The plants and trees have bent in the direction of the winds, making small cave like areas where its likely the locals spend their evenings partying.  

                          

Following the foot trails you come to the edge of the peninsula, where you get a closer view to the lone rock in the ocean. It was a good place to sit, watch the boats and seagulls, and eat some cheez-it's ( the only good cheese cracker, of which I am truly addicted).   

                           

                           
On the north side of the peninsula the trail leads down to the ocean where it breaks against the impacted sand rock. There is a collection of small pools where I saw tiny crabs feeding and small fish waiting for the next wave to release them. 
                           

Just south of the landing the ocean collects in a round opening. Only 10 feet above the waves, my desires to jump into the ocean were immediate. 

                                           
                             

I probably would have if I had a way back onto the rocks that would have avoided me being beaten against them. Plus, my luck, I would have encountered a shark or giant octopus. It looked like that kind of area. The kind that conceals something dangerous even though its appearance seems so inviting and safe. 

The next beach we went to was Cannon Beach. The rocks are most familiar due to their appearance in movies like The Goonies ("Hey You Guys!").  

                              
                             
For dinner we ate at Norma's Seafood and Steak in Seaside, Oregon. I had the Captains platter with the clam chowder (Oh my Gosh! I want More). Seaside is a neat little area. They even have a bumper car arena that carries the nostalgia of the old boardwalks.  

After dinner we rushed to the beach so we could watch the sunset behind the ocean, and made it just in time.

  

 

I dont know what it is about sunsets, but it would seem that a person can never have enough pictures of them. 

Creepy Factories

          Recently I decided that I needed to change the way I've been doing things. Especially when it obtains to how my work appears once its finished. As I was looking over some of the things I have done in the past, I noticed that while I can't say I have a specific "style" yet (though that may be a good thing), I also don't seem to stretch my ideas enough to make them overly attention grabbing. Basically, I'm thinking that my overall concepts are generally weak.
          After my friends tortured me for a week of early risings and uphill hikes (my friends ROCK!), we finally took a little trip that let me enjoy the ride. At the OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), you can take a jet boat tour that shows and talks about all the different bridges and buildings along the river front. It's actually really interesting, and Captain Bob (that's really his name!) made it even more fun with his speed boat 360 degree turns and diving stops. (If you don't mind getting wet, I highly suggest the front 2 rows.)
          Of course, afraid I was going to ruin my camera, I once again used my phone to take pictures. There where some really gorgeous homes and mansions, but the buildings that I liked the most where the factories. They all had a unique essence about them with the complicated plumbing, windows, and towers about them. Once I took the time to look at what I had captured, I knew these were what I was going to try to do something different with. 
          For the most part, I like to avoid scary or creepy movies. I don't know if its the villains, the music, or the images, but the movie always has a way of burning itself into my head for days, and I Hate It. Naturally this is what I challenged myself to do. Take these images of the factories and make them look intimidating and creepy.

 

         I decided! The first part of everything creepy is to make it dark. Initially I was going to make all the pictures black and white, but then it only seemed to make the picture more interesting. 

 

 

Darkness achieved! The texture I got in the sky reminds me of "The Dark Knight" movie posters along with the urban background and cranes. I'm still not sure if it really something thats creepy and intimidating, vs. just a cool make-over.

I took this picture because I like the cylinder shapes. But the blue sky looks so flat and boring, and achieving a texture similar to the one above was irritating. SO! To achieve some depth I applied a concept that Howard Hughes noticed while making a movie and added clouds.  Plus, storm clouds are another one of those things that can be intimidating, and they are often seen in scary movies. But after it still just looked like a factory in the middle of a storm. The idea of lightning came from a friend, and while I like it, it kinda just looks "pretty". The opposite of what I'm was trying to get. Maybe I just like to watch lightning. I don't know.

 

I played with this picture for a while. Something about it keeps reminding me of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". I went back to black and white, and then layered the sky and water parts of the image with a slight hint of color.  Once again added some clouds.... Perhaps its still not really intimidating. But if it really did house a group of mental people, that could change.

 

Willy Wonka's Factory of toxic sludge.

In my opinion, this isn't creepy. It's a "stylized" picture of a interesting old building. (I really like the bridge; just sayin').

At the moment I don't really feel like these images create the feeling that I was trying to get. But, I think Im getting close. Perhaps the images would be seen differently if there was a story that followed them. Sometimes it's words combined with an image that achieve the full story that we play out in our heads. Then again, if you have an overly imaginative mind, then staring into a picture might be enough to make it what you want.